Summerhill International School (formerly JAC) (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Located in the heart of Moto Azabu, the school caters to kids aged 16 months to 6 years of age. With its highly trained and qualified teaching team Summerhill International School seeks to provide a caring, warm and environmentally conscious environment, ensure that a child’s potential is fostered and encouraged to blossom. Summerhill tries to find innovative ways to introduce something special that other schools generally don’t offer such as our ballet gymnastics, art and music programs (read about its ballet program at Tokyo Families). Summerhill is also the ONLY pre-school with our own soccer team. Its new library opened on the first floor in 2009.

Summerhill offers the following:

Kindergarten Readiness Program: follows a curriculum that uses a comprehensive approach to challenge children and support all areas of their development. The Readiness Program recognizes that children will soon be entering kindergartens or primary schools that have clear expectations of child readiness. Summerhill develops expectations in concert with the few competitive international schools in Tokyo that the children will be attending. The curriculum builds off the child’s knowledge and skill base, learning style, and interests. There is a clear emphasis on the development of strong language and math skills. A language-rich environment is created in which to encourage literacy development from the youngest age by incorporating reading and writing into daily activities. Math is taught by giving children concrete experiences with counting, sorting, patterning, and problem-solving. Important social skills for school such as listening carefully, following through on a sequence of tasks, and working cooperatively are also reinforced as children engage in projects and daily activities.

Environmentally-Sensitive Science is offered. The school strongly emphasizes the natural environment, makes science come alive and encourages children to experiment, observe, record, describe, question, and form explanations and conclusions. It stimulates a child’s sense of wonder and challenges a child’s problem-solving skills, allowing him/her to explore and communicate the mysteries of the forces, properties, and principles of the world around him/her. To show that anyone can make a difference, Summerhill adopts several endangered or suffering animals from wildlife organizations, and share their growth and progress with the children. This way, Summerhill children develop a sense of care and nurture while acquiring the basics of science.

Active Bilingualism Summerhill acknowledges that one of the biggest assets in this day and age is being able to speak different languages. Summerhill offers an all-rounded, cultural enrichment program involving a wide range of activities that enable children to experience Japanese culture to its fullest. Daily Japanese classes are part of its curriculum and Japanese holidays and cultural events are celebrated.

Optional extra Japanese classes are further offered after school.

Fresh Air Program: All-rounded, meaning physical activity is considered just as important as academics. Summerhill has on staff a professional gymnastics teacher who instructs basic gymnastics using equipment such as bars, balancing-beams, mats, hula-hoops, and the trampoline. Every day, unless the weather is not agreeable, the children venture out on Fresh Air Walks, utilizing the three parks that are conveniently located minutes from the school. For safety, children wear bright Summerhill smocks that can be easily identified.